An active substance that has been known for 30 years could unexpectedly turn into a ray of hope against eye tumors. This is shown by a new study. The plant leaves of which contain the tested substance is anything but rare: At Christmas time you can find it in every well-assorted garden center.

Two isolated mountain lion populations in southern California's Santa Ana and Santa Monica Mountains are at risk of local extinction, perhaps as soon as within 50 years, according to a study published in the journal Ecological Applications. The extinction risk is due to low genetic diversity and mortality that affects the stability of the population. But increasing connectivity could help.

As an organism grows and responds to its environment, genes in its cells are constantly turning on and off, with different patterns of gene expression in different cells. But can changes in gene expression be passed on from parents to their children and subsequent generations? Researchers have now demonstrated that epigenetic information carried by parental sperm chromosomes can cause changes in gene expression and development in the offspring.

In favorable conditions, many bacteria propel themselves to food sources and other sites of interest using whip-like molecular propellers known as flagella. However, according to new research, members of the bacterial class Gammaproteobacteria eject their flagella when nutrients are scarce.

Androgens stimulate prostate cancer cells to grow. Many drugs to target that cancer focus on stopping androgen biosynthesis or blocking the androgen receptor, or AR. Researchers have discovered a new function of the AR in prostate cells -- the AR is imported into and localizes to mitochondria of the cell, where it plays a novel role in regulating multiple mitochondrial processes.

A professor has demonstrated for the first time the value of linear particle accelerators for the generation of free radicals inside biological samples. This work will have important applications throughout biochemistry, especially for researchers studying antioxidants and photosynthesis.

To identify genes involved in photosynthesis, researchers built a library containing thousands of single-celled algae, each with a different gene mutation. The library, which took nine years to construct, has already helped researchers identify 303 genes associated with photosynthesis including 21 newly discovered genes with high potential to provide new insights into this life-sustaining process.